Month: March 2015

Once we got through week #1 of our Nature’s Fare budget challenge, I was feeling more confident about getting creative and planning our meals around foods that were on sale or marked down that week. We also added a bit more meat to our menu this week. The previous week we had focused on vegetarian lunches, but this week we made a big slower cooker of chicken breast mixed with every type of vegetable we had left over in the fridge from the week before and made these into chicken lettuce wraps.

We also decided to experience with breakfast bowls, since we had oats and chia seeds left over from the previous week. One of my tips would be to set out all your ingredients for your bowls and allow the kids to make them. This helps them to stay involved and be more interested in eating their breakfast because the ingredients are their decision and they are in control.

Here is a look at our Week #2 Menu.

Breakfast:

Yogurt Breakfast Bowl –

½ cup plain Greek yogurt

Dried mango

Dried figs

Mixed raw nuts

Top with any fruits or nut butters you have in the house. We added grapefruit to ours!

You can also add honey or a natural sweetener if needed.

Snacks:

Rice cakes and almond butter

Lunch:

Chicken lettuce wraps –

Bake a whole chicken in a slow cooker with coconut oil, sea salt, and pepper.

Add garlic, onions, or any vegetables you have left over from the previous week.

Use large romaine leafs for wraps instead of grain wraps.

Top with a scoop of quinoa and red pepper hummus.

Snack:

Cut up veggies and hummus

Dinner:

Roasted tomato soup –

2 containers of IM tomato soup

1 onion

2 cups of quinoa

2 cloves of garlic

Organic ground beef (I forgot to write down the weight of the meat, but I’m pretty sure it was a pound for each package.)

Also, add any vegetables you like!

Directions:

Cook ground meat, onions, and garlic in a large skillet. Once they are fully cooked, place ingredients in a large pot with tomato soup and quinoa.

Bring to a boil, and then allow to simmer until you are ready to enjoy.

We served this with a green salad and gluten-free saltine crackers.

This soup is delicious! You will not be disappointed, and it’s so easy to make!

Week’s Total:

$2.50 Ea or 2/$5.00

** KALE GREEN $2.50

$2.50 Ea or 2/$5.00

** KALE GREEN $2.50

** MS CRACKER SEA SALT GF NG $4.49

1.690 @ $15.90

TRM CHICKEN WHOLE ORG $26.87

MEAT $5 CPN $-5.00

1.060 kg @ $3.28 / kg

** GRAPEFRUIT RUBY/PINK $3.48

LETTUCE ROMAINE $3.99

LETTUCE ROMAINE $3.99

LETTUCE ROMAINE $3.99

Error Correction ^^^ $-3.99

0.130 kg @ $22.02 / kg

GARLIC $2.86

** IM SOUP TOMATO GF ORG $2.99

TRM BEEF GROUND LEAN ORG $9.99

MEAT $2 CPN $-2.00

TRM BEEF GROUND LEAN ORG $9.99

MEAT $2 CPN $-2.00

0.255 kg @ $4.39 / kg

ONION YELLOW $1.12

LT YOGURT PLAIN L/F 0% $6.49

** SUZIE’S THINCAKES UNSALTED GF $2.99

3 @ $1.69

AVOCADO $5.07

0.205 kg @ $8.36 / kg

TOMATO FIELD $1.71

EDEN BEAN BLACK ORG $5.19

4 @ $1.19

T*K NOODLE VEG/GARLIC $4.76

EVK HUMMUS w/RED PEP GF ORG $4.99

SN KETCHUP TOMATO ORG $4.99

LT YOGURT PLAIN L/F 0% $-6.49

^^^ Void ^^^

LT YOGURT PLAIN L/F 0% $4.48

Subtotal $99.95

Family Discount 5% $5.00

Total $94.95

Second shopping trip:

** QP TORTILLA CHIP US GF ORG $3.49 G

0.135 kg @ $27.90 / kg

MANGO DRIED ORG $3.77

RUDI’S BREAD SPELT ORG $4.98

** FRUIT D’OR CRANBERRY FJS ORG $3.49 G

L/C PEAR PEAS KALE GF ORG $2.29

L/C PEAR PEAS KALE GF ORG $2.29

L/C PEAR PEAS KALE GF ORG $2.29

L/C PEAR PEAS KALE GF ORG $2.29

0.135 kg @ $36.90 / kg

KETTLE DELUXE NUT MIX NO SALT $4.98

Subtotal $33.34

Total for the week $128.25

On paper we came out a little higher than our $125.00 budget, but we ended up not using the black beans we purchased until the following week. So it all balanced in the end.

Wheat free, gluten free option, refined sugar free, vegan option.

All of these ingredients can be purchased at a grocery store like Nature’s Fare. I used all organic ingredients.

I needed to make a cake that was healthy but didn’t taste “healthy”. I was about to attempt to please 5 little girls tastebuds, and my extreme sweet tooth with this chocolate cake. I am proud to say it was a complete success! It’s simple to throw together and ends up being moist and rich. The icing is just perfect with the hint of peanut butter flavour in it. It spreads nicely and is easy to work with. I added strawberries on top to make it kinda like PB$J-like. I hope you try this cake just for fun or for your next birthday party! It will not dissapoint!

3/4 cup total of unsweetened coconut yogurt, or coconut cream, or blended fresh coconut meat or a mixture of both

2 tsp vanilla

1.5 cup milk of choice (I used almond milk)

2 eggs (or flax “eggs”)

1/4 cup plus a tablespoon or two more of melted coconut oil

Ingredients for icing:

1 cup raw soaked (4hrs min) and rinsed cashews

5 packs stevia

1/2 cup pitted dates (it helps if you soak them in warm water for about 15 min to soften and remove pits)

1/2 cup coconut cream, or blended fresh coconut meat (you can find coconut meat fresh by scooping it out of a young coconut, or buying in the freezer section of your health food store already done for you)

1/2 cup raw cacao

1/2 cup natural peanut butter

1/2 cup mashed cooked yam

1/2 cup melted coconut oil

1/2 cup raw honey or maple syrup

Directions for cake:

Place all dry ingredients into a bowl and mix well. Mix all wet ingredients in another bowl and then add wet to dry. Mix, but do not need to mix as much as you would a traditional box cake mix. Just mix enough that it’s all incorporated and there’s no lumps.

Bake 350 for about 40 min. Bake until a knife comes out clean but do not overcook.

Note: if you decide to bake this is 2 separate cake pans and stacking your cake later, you will have to bake for a shorter amount of time. Try starting with 18 min and keep checking every 4 minutes after that. I baked mine all at once in a silicone bunt cake pan.

Directions for icing:

Place all ingredients in high speed blender like a vitamix and blend until smooth. It makes for easier blending if you add the liquid coconut oil first, and other softer items, then the cashews, and dates. Use it right away, or you can store in fridge to use it later. It will firm up a bit in the fridge so keep that in mind. Still spreadable, but firmer.

Goal of Exercise:

Muscles Worked

Stabilizers

A couple months ago, Nature’s Fare and I decided to team up and make me a budget girl for a month. The rules were that I had to grocery shop for my family of four on a budget of $125.00 a week (not a penny more) and record my findings.

Food is a household expense into which I put a lot of our money. I have done a large amount of research on the importance of organic meats, fruits, and vegetables—and the benefits of knowing where your food is coming from—so quality is very important to me. To be honest, however, before I took on this challenge, I was spending more money than I wanted to. This challenge forced me recognize where our money was going and how much food we were wasting every week. When I decided to do this challenge, my current spending (again, going to be honest here) was probably $800-$1,000 a month, and now I was being asked to cut it down to $500 a month. I seriously wondered if I would be able to!!

Now, in my defense, the budget of $800-$1,000 included soap, supplements, and vitamins—not just food items. So the first thing we did was place these items in a house budget section of our planning, and then we placed everything else in food.

First week breakdown:

During the first week, I went to the store with a big plan about what we would eat to stay within our budget rather than researching sales that were happening and items I could buy in bulk for the whole month ahead.

This was canned vegetarian chilli that was on sale and it was delicious!

When choosing a canned option, make sure to look for BPA free cans.

Cost of Ingredients: $23.68

Afternoon Snack

Protein Shake

Cost of protein: $34.99 for the month on sale!!!

Additional Kid Snacks

Apples

Raw almond butter

Cost: $16.48

Dinner

Whole Chicken

We also used this chicken in salads and stuffed peppers.

We filled the peppers with quinoa,chicken,spices,garlic,onions and baked at 350 for 30 minutes.

So good!

Cost: $ 14.00—with $3.00 taken off at till on sale

Vegetables

Actual Receipt

AVOCADO $10.14

NW PEANUT BUTTER CRNCH N/S ORG $8.99

BD ALMOND BRZ BEV ORIG US GF $2.99

BD ALMOND BRZ BEV ORIG US GF $2.99

AVF ONLY OATS FLAKE QUICK WF $6.49

** E&S NTV COCONUT MILK LT ORG $2.99

** E&S NTV COCONUT MILK LT ORG $2.99

** A*K CHILI MEDIUM GF ORG $2.99

** E/B BLUEBERRY ORG $4.99

NF DATES PITTED IRAN UNSLPHRD $2.99

** A*H QUINOA GRAIN $6.99

** L-C RAISINS FLAME ORG $7.29

NF DATES PITTED IRAN UNSLPHRD $2.99

** A*K CHILI MEDIUM GF ORG $2.99

0.870 kg @ $2.18 / kg

BANANAS $1.90

** A*K CHILI MEDIUM GF ORG $2.99

** A*K CHILI MEDIUM GF ORG $2.99

1.284 @ $10.90

TRM CHICKEN WHOLE FR $14.00

MEAT $3 CPN $-3.00

S*T EGGS LARGE FR VEG $4.79

0.505 kg @ $11.00 / kg

PEPPERS RED $5.56

APPLES GALA BAG 5LB $7.49

0.870 kg @ $5.05 / kg

CABBAGE RED $4.39

1.565 kg @ $2.18 / kg

BANANAS $3.41

Subtotal $113.33

Family Discount $5.66

New Total $107.67

You can see that we still had money left after our first trip to Nature’s Fare—which was good because I wanted to see what I had for the week and pick up anything else we might end up needing as the week progressed.

We ended up spending the remaining $17.33 on vegetables and Friday night pizza night!!!

My tips from this week:

Shop on Sunday at Nature’s Fare! It’s family day and you get a 5% discount, which equals $25 a month in savings.

Plan for extra time at the store to shop sales and build your meals for the week around those sales. You can also look for things that are marked down because they are close to reaching their expiration date.

We also stuck very close to this meal plan in the first week in order to not go outside the budget, but we switched up snacks and the style in which we ate our meals to keep things interesting.

I need to constantly remind myself of the answer to those two questions as both life and priorities change. Over the last year I’ve realized that trying to grow an online business is no joke! Along the way, I’ve often times let my focus and true reason for starting this website become blurred with the daily demands. At the end of this life, when all is said and done, the numbers don’t matter…the people do. This why I started blogging, teaching, and allowing the world of social media access into my life. It was to connect with real women who have real struggles similar to me, and provide simple tools that have helped me along my journey. Doing life in our female bodies can be tough, which is why I am working hard to grow this network of amazing women who read this blog and have memberships to Daily Routine Fitness. Each one of you has the potential to change the lives around you, so I encourage all of you to take every opportunity, every season, every blessing and use it to its fullest potential.

I have been so blessed over the past year by the companies that have come alongside Daily Routine Fitness to support our growth and vision. There is not one investment that has been made in me personally, or this company, that I take for granted. Thank you for standing behind us, beside us and praying for us while we made mistakes and tasted moments of success. You have helped make my dreams come true, and we want to pass the blessings along!

Over the next few months, as my little family preps for Baby Doell #3, we want to give back to you! As I start to set up our nursery again and fill it with all the necessities, we will be sending out random gifts to moms who you nominate. What??!!! Here is how it’s going to work…

How it works…

Who has made an impact in your life and inspired you as a mom? Who would you like to see blessed with a random gift?

Send us your nomination along with a short paragraph explaining why they are so important in your life. Along with the write-up, please include the nominee’s full name and mailing address.

We will be picking winners throughout the month of April!

Also…

During this giveaway, we will be showcasing some of the amazing companies that have come alongside Daily Routine Fitness to support us, many from back in the early days.

If you own a company and would like to use this opportunity to bless someone and be featured on the blog, PLEASE CONTACT US! We would love to get you involved and get your products into the hands of some amazing moms.

Please share this post on your social media so we can bless as many moms as possible!

I asked Paige to take over my blog today due to her extensive knowledge and dedication to her training. Whether you are looking to take on a fitness competition or simply improve your overall fitness level, this girl will inspire you! Thank you Paige for taking the time to explain these simple and effective tips to us! I’m cheering for you lady!

xoxo

Rachel

You can follow Paige’s journey on at her Instagram account TheFitnessPaige.

Whether you were “born with a booty” or not, building strong, toned and lifted glutes does not happen by accident. Adding some glute focused training to your weekly training regiment may be the best thing for your fitness goals this year. As isolating and training larger muscle groups burns calories and builds strength for other body groups.

If glute training is part of your weekly routine and you aren’t seeing results, it’s time to re-evaluate your exercises and start fresh!

Top Five Tips To Building a Better Booty

1) Be Prepared

If you are getting yourself to the gym-make it count! You do not need to do the same exercises every week in the same order, but arriving at the gym with a goal in mind of what you want to accomplish will lead to a much more successful workout. As well as, eating a fast digesting meal before hand will allow for optimal energy and strength to help fuel your workout.

2) Priority Training

Try adding a “glute focused” day into your weekly routine on top of your normal leg day to activate your glutes multiple times throughout the week. By constantly engaging this muscle group you will ensure it is always in a growing/rebuilding state.

3) Force Through Heels

By focusing the power through your heels, you will keep the tension on the glutes and help avoid developing dominant quads. Wearing flat-soled shoes can help keep your form focused on the heels.

4) One Leg At A Time

Training one leg/glute at a time will make it easier to create a mind muscle connection to properly isolate the muscle group and help with a full contraction. This also leads to proper form and muscle balance, while increasing symmetry by equally training the muscle groups.

5) Finish Strong

Finish off your work out with a plyometric/bodyweight burnout! This not only helps burn calories but also adds in a different form of training from isolated weight lifting. These explosive movements are challenging and help shape muscle and build your endurance.

Top Five Exercises To Build a Better Booty

Barbell Hip Thrusters

Your weight should be supported by your shoulder blades. Squeeze glutes when extending up then slowly release back down.

Box Jumps

Push up through heels, making sure to land flat-footed on box.

One-Legged Cable Kick-Backs

Keep you core tight. At your full extension back, hold and squeeze glutes then slowly bring foot forward, resisting the pull from the cable.

Single dumbbell dead lifts

Hold weight with same side as planted foot and use your free leg for balance behind you. Make sure to keep a neutral spine position and take your time to really activate the muscle.

Reverse Side Lunges

Sit back and place pressure on your heels while avoiding any pull to lean forward.

Want to see this workout put together? We will be posting this workout put together tomorrow on ourInstagram account.

Gluten free, sugar free.

All of these ingredients can be purchased at a grocery store like Nature’s Fare. I used all organic ingredients.

Sometimes it’s nice to have something to grab and go for breakfast. These cookies are also a great on the go snack, pre, or post workout. These flourless cookies are kind of a cross between a cookie, scone, and muffin. They’ll be very satisfying! There’s lots of protein and healthy fats and carbohydrates to keep you going and going. Oh and lets not forget the perfect combination of the orange zest with the blueberries, it’s wonderful!

My passion and dedication to my work comes from a very personal place. I am determined to see woman freed from the lies and destructive lifestyles that are plaguing them. My goal is for women around the world to reach beyond what they thought they were capable of, live a healthy lifestyle and discover true happiness in their bodies.